Pro Soccer Insights
5 Expert Answers from Former Atlanta United Soccer Star, Greg Garza, on Success in Sports
2018 MLS Cup Champion and Former US Men’s National Team Player Greg Garza
June 2023
The mental health and mindset of an athlete is crucial to their success. I interviewed former Atlanta United Soccer star, Greg Garza 5 questions about his pivotal factors to his success on the field.
Dr. Eng: As a former professional soccer player, what were the most important aspects of your recovery routine and how did you prioritize rest and rehabilitation to ensure optimal performance?
Greg: As a former player, the most important aspects to my recovery and routine was staying disciplined to focusing on the word RECOVERY. Every player's body reacts differently to different training loads, games, etc. I was a player who used a lot of force and strength throughout training and games, which required me to really dedicate myself to post training/game rehab. I implemented ice baths, massage guns, using massage therapists two times a week, seeing a chiropractic once a week, using ART with PT's, and prioritizing rest and stretching at home each and every day to prepare myself for success every single day. When playing professional sports or a sport that uses every muscle of your body, it is important to realize that your body is your temple. Any type of post rehab and recovery is necessary for you to play at the level you want to each and every day.
Dr. Eng: Can you share insights into how chiropractic has helped you through your career?
Greg: Chiropractic for me was essential throughout my career. Most people think of Chiro as just a way to get adjusted, which at times can cause some fear within people not being used to something unfamiliar. Chiro for me was much more than just an adjustment. It was the use of ART (Active Release Techniques), the use of stretching, gaining exercises to strengthen or loosen up certain parts of my body. It also included an adjustment to help me balance out both sides of my body to ensure that I could perform at a high level always and be pain free. Chiro played a huge role throughout my whole entire career and still does in wanting to always stay healthy and prioritize my body to be in the best shape possible even after playing professional soccer for a very long time.
Dr. Eng: How crucial was mindset in your success as a professional athlete, and how did you approach challenges, setbacks, and high-pressure situations to maintain focus and perform at your best?
Greg: I believe that within professional sports, or absolutely anything we do in life that we want to be successful in, is 100% mental/physical. The reason I say that is for us to trigger that discipline, the commitment, the grind, the grit, and other components that make us successful in what we love to do, we must have the correct mindset and mental space behind those decisions being made. I wanted to be the fittest player I could be, strongest player I could be, most technical player I could be, smartest player I could be, and best prepared player I could be. This all had to do with me understanding how important the mental side of the game was and how my mindset could push me towards those objectives and goals that I would make for myself.
Dr. Eng: As a former professional athlete, what strategies did you employ to manage stress and maintain your mental well-being throughout your career, especially during demanding periods?
Greg: During stressful times, in which there are a lot within professional sports, my biggest and most practical exercise was to JOURNAL. Journaling was my getaway car through tough times. It was my way to self reflect, connect with myself in a deeper sense, create new goals, challenges, and even reminders of finding my WHY. Finding my why was by far an important asset and trait I used in difficult times, whether losing games, going through injuries, or other extremely stressful and somewhat lonely times within my career. When we are free in our mind and find what works best for us, such as routines and habits that make us feel comfortable in our brains, we are apt to perform at our best. My release was journaling, as for others it can be anything else that might be their getaway car and their reliever from what might actually be currently happening in their lives/careers. I am a true believer that everyone must find something that allows them to be in that mindset of relief rather than stress.
Dr. Eng: What advice would you give to aspiring young athletes who dream of reaching the professional level? What key habits, mindset, and training approaches should they focus on to maximize their potential and increase their chances of success in soccer?
Greg: One of the main pieces of advice I would give young aspiring professional athletes is to focus on preparation. Preparation is key to one's success. Preparation involves everything you do throughout your day focusing on how it can help you reach your top level game consistently. I was once told by another former pro when I was much younger, "What you do before training determines how successful you will be at training, and everything you do after training will determine how successful you are tomorrow." Such a great piece of advice and one I tried to follow consistently throughout my career. I always tell student athletes that it is not necessarily about making it, because making it given the opportunities is the easy part. It is about making it last. How you can sustain your success and consistency throughout your career or however far soccer takes you is by far the hardest aspect of playing at the highest level. Once you figure out your routines, habits, rituals, and other key components that make you feel good and well prepared, you will have a much higher probability and percentage of always holding yourself to a high level/standard.
Thank you Greg for taking the time out of your schedule to help our community of athletes stay injury free!
If you have any question for Greg, below are four ways to connect with him.
Email - ggarza@beyondgoalsmentoring.com.
Instagram - @beyondgoalsmentoring
Twitter - @bgmentoring
Website - beyondgoalsmentoring.com